


Racing Down the Street

by JustARandomIdiot



Category: Story Thieves Series - James Riley
Genre: Detective Charm Mentum, Detective Orion, F/F, Phantom Thief AU, Phantom Thief Kara Dox, Phantom Thief/Detective, Story Thieves Gift Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28256871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustARandomIdiot/pseuds/JustARandomIdiot
Summary: Charm Mentum is the city's greatest detective. With her mind, she can solve any case (and never once has she been wrong). But when she takes on the case of the Phantom Butterfly, there's now one case she can't seem to solve— or maybe she doesn't want to admit the solution— why can't she bring herself to turn in the Phantom Butterfly?Title from Owl City's "I'm Coming After You."For the Story Thieves Gift Exchange.
Relationships: Charm Mentum & Orion | Kid Twilight, Charm Mentum/Kara Dox
Comments: 8
Kudos: 8





	Racing Down the Street

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mistu_Shipper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistu_Shipper/gifts).



> Hi, Mistu! You probably figured it out at this point, but I was your gifter! Hope you enjoy this fic I wrote!
> 
> The prompt I chose:  
> can i have kara x charm phantom thief au? like kara is the thief that’s pulling all these dangerous heists while charm is the detective, trying to stop her. i would base their dynamic off the song “im coming after you” by owl city. or maybe use carmen sandiego/julia, or even kokichi/shuichi and kirigiri/celestia from dr as an inspiration. that’s the type of dynamic i’m into. just a detective chasing the mysterious thief late into the night, and slowly but surely, falling in love. pls pls PLS include a dance scene filled with romantic tension, that is my favorite thing of these aus. it’s included in a kokichi/shuichi fic i read + it’s part of the interactive episode for carmen sandiego and it’s. The best
> 
> Things to note:  
> 1) I. Don't actually know anything about Dangan Ronpa or Carmen Sandiego. I had to ask people about this lmao. I also didn't know anything about Phantom Thieves and had to look that up and find several examples.
> 
> 2) I drew inspiration from the Sherlock Holmes stories for Charm's characterization and for some things I drew inspiration from the animation Diamond Jack, which you can find on YouTube.
> 
> 3) I have no idea what city this is. I'm sorry. I genuinely don't. I also don't know who the chief is, I couldn't figure it out so imagine him as whoever you want I guess. Also only one of the other criminals (besides Kara) is actually based on a character in the books. You can probably figure out who it is lol.
> 
> 4) I started ignoring making things realistic at some point lol
> 
> 5) I imagined Charm as Korean and Kara as Blasian, but you don't have to!

When Charm was sent to the scene, she didn’t know what she was expecting. She did know what she _wasn’t_ expecting: the thief laying on the floor of the museum, already tied up and passed out. 

The renaissance vase, however, was missing from its usual place.

Charm knelt down to examine the unconscious man in front of her. From the thief’s current state, it couldn’t have been him who had taken it. There was a bruise on the side of his head, not quite the red color that shows up after an immediate impact. It was a bit darker, so he must’ve been passed out for some time now. Not to mention how deeply he was breathing, as if in a deep sleep.

She stood up, ready to inspect the display for any clues on who may have stolen it, only to find a note right where the vase should be.

“The vase is safe. You’ll find it safe and sound by tomorrow morning,” the note read.

Charm studied the note for a bit. She didn’t recognize the handwriting, but it was fairly neat. It wasn’t rushed, so the actual thief had plenty of time to write the note. 

“I wasn’t expecting it to be this easy,” Orion said, walking up behind her.

Charm rolled her eyes. “It isn’t,” she stated, handing him the note.

He quickly looked it over before handing it back. “So not our guy?” he asked, motioning his head towards the unconscious man.

“He’s not out of the clear quite yet.” She motioned for him to follow, the two of them making their way to the security office. Not too long after, they were looking through the security footage from earlier that night.

For several hours, nothing had happened, so Charm sped through that part of the footage, not stopping until something happened.

According to what they saw on the camera, the man that they had found unconscious in the relic room had broken in, another screen showing that the guard supposed to be watching the cameras had left to go to the bathroom around the same time. In silence, the two detectives watched as he made it past the security, grabbed the relic with his gloved hands, started making his way out… then static.

Charm squinted at the screen. She rewinded the footage, playing it again. At the exact same point, it went to static, just like earlier. A few seconds later, the static cleared, showing the man unconscious, tied up, and the note where they had found it.

The vase? Still missing.

“The real thief is still out there,” Charm stated, walking back to the scene, the man now beginning to stir. “Meanwhile, we have _a_ thief practically gift wrapped to us, so we might as well turn him in.”

Orion raised a brow. “Okay, yeah he broke in, but that doesn’t mean he stole—”

“If you recall the camera footage, the way he snuck in was too confident for a first-time thief, he’s had experience before. We saw he had equipment prepared on him, not fumbling with any of his tools. And he managed to make it past security rather easily, without going about it _too_ carefully, a sign that he had done this before. 

“In fact…” The man was now beginning to stir as they reentered the scene. “I’d say he’s most likely the culprit to some of our open cases.”

Orion only stared, something that Charm learned over time was stunned silence. 

“Honestly, I would’ve probably called you ridiculous for that claim, if it weren’t for the fact that you’re never wrong about these things.”

Charm just grinned. “There _is_ a reason the chief called me the best detective.” She wasn’t one to let emotions get the better of her, but nothing wrong with feeling a little pride in Orion’s correct statement. “Don’t understand why I’m required to work with a partner, though.”

Orion just glared at her. “Okay, I get I’m not as smart as you,” he told her, “but you know _exactly_ why we’re assigned to work together.”

“And you think you’re any better?”

“I may not be the nicest person, but at least I know when to shut my mouth.”

Charm found herself rolling her eyes. God, people were so sensitive. She explains to a man that his wife couldn’t be the one who stole his family’s heirloom because she was too busy having an affair the night of the theft and all of a sudden she’s the bad guy.

Well, that didn’t matter right now.

“Take him in,” Charm ordered Orion, yanking the thief to his feet. Having just woken up and his hands tied to his side, he didn’t quite have his sense of balance, Orion having to catch him before he fell back down. “I’ll stay and find—”

“You can do that in the morning,” Orion said, leading the thief out of the museum, his grip tight on the man’s shoulder and arm.

“Excuse me?!” 

Orion sighed, that same sigh he did every time he was tired of her. Which was pretty much every time. “Charm, it’s already fairly late—”

“11:26 is not—”

“—and knowing you, you won’t get any sleep solving this.”

Ugh, the curse of being human: needing sleep and food.

“Why does it matter to you? It’s _my_ health.”

“Because as horrible as you are, I still strangely care about you.” As soon as he said that, Orion just shook his head with a sigh. The correct response, honestly; caring for Charm was quite a mistake. “Not to mention that the chief won’t be happy if you’re late showing up for work. Again.”

Right, that too. “Just… one minute. At least let me look for one minute.” God, she sounded like a child begging for something from their parents.

The thief began to struggle in Orion’s grip as Charm spoke, Orion only tightening that grip. 

Once he had the thief under control again, he rolled his eyes. Clearly he knew this would be a losing battle with Charm. “Fine. One minute. But if you’re not out in sixty seconds, I’m coming back in here and dragging you out.”

Charm nodded, the countdown having started in her head.

Orion proceeded to lead the thief out of the museum, Charm moving fast as she took in the scene around her.

There weren’t many ways to make it into, though Charm did note that there seemed to be some sort of hatch in the ceiling for whatever reason. Possible through the windows, though at first glance it didn’t look like they were touched (she’d have to look at them in the morning).

27 seconds left. 

She quickly studied the stand that the vase was supposed to be sitting on, finally noticing something she had missed the first time when she had been reading the note: a small strand of hair.

With her prosthetic arm that she had built herself, she delicately picked it up, pinching it between her thumb and finger. Definitely not from the thief they had found earlier, his hair was way too short, not as curly, and most definitely not pink. This had to be from the real thief.

Unfortunately, Charm didn’t have the time to check for more clues tonight, not if she didn’t want Orion to physically drag her out. (In the past, she would’ve thought he was bluffing. Turns out he didn’t make empty promises.) Instead, she just pulled out a small ziplock bag from her coat, gently placing the strand of hair inside and sealing it. She could examine it in the lab later.

9 seconds left.

She’d better start heading out. Pocketing the little piece of evidence she had, she started on her way out the museum before Orion could come and physically drag her out.

The next morning, when she arrived at the building of her office (first one there for once instead of being late like usual), she found the renaissance vase sitting at the step of the entrance, perfectly fine. On it, a sticky note with a smile and the words “You’re welcome.”

* * *

Charm wasn’t into the detective work to stop the crime.

She didn’t care much for the police, every one she met a rather stupid lot. Most of the time, they couldn’t tell the difference between the actual culprit and someone innocent. Unfortunately, it seemed that training to become an officer didn’t involve passing some sort of IQ exam, to her dismay.

But no, Charm didn’t care much about bringing justice to criminals, unlike Orion. What she was more interested in was the mystery.

Charm loved puzzles. And what greater puzzle than a mystery? She was good at deductive reasoning. She knew how not to let emotions and opinions override cold, hard facts, unlike most people. She understood how most clues connected together to create the bigger picture.

In the words of one of her favorite detectives: most people see, but do not observe. And Charm wasn’t most people; Charm _observed._

Charm always observed. She’d been observing since she was a young child. And when The Accident happened, leaving her blind in one eye and missing an arm and leg? That didn’t stop her. She trained her good eye to see more. She created prosthetics that could send information to her brain, even if not as accurate as an actual human arm and leg.

And she never got a case wrong. Left open? Yes, because it wasn’t her job to _capture_ the criminals, just solve the cases. But she was _never_ wrong.

As to what happened when the criminal was caught? Call her cruel, but she didn’t care too much what happened to them after she solved the case. It wasn’t her job to care. Caring meant letting emotions control.

No, she was purely objective. She was above emotions.

Unlike most people.

“It’s all lies!” the white haired woman was screaming as she was led outside her home. “ _Lies_! Libel, I tell you!”

Charm rolled her eyes. God, people were annoying. And way too loud.

Rather than listen to the woman screaming more about her so-called “innocence,” Charm made her way back to the crime scene, staring once again at the note that sat in the unlocked and empty safe in the wall.

“It doesn’t belong to her,” it read. “She stole it from Verne Corporations. It’ll be returned safely in the morning.”

“She’s now blaming her daughter for this whole mess,” Orion informed her as he came back in the room. “She just _won’t_ shut up.”

“Apparently a lot of people don’t when they’re accused of stealing valuable property,” Charm answered, walking around the room and examining the contents. “Seems to be a common thing.”

“What do you think?” Orion asked, reading the note himself. “Think she actually stole this thing first?”

“We can’t eliminate that possibility just yet,” Charm told him, noting all the possible ways in and out of the room. “There _was_ recently a theft from Verne Corporations, and you don’t just make assumptions during investigations. Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

Orion just stared at her, the same tired look on his face. “Isn’t that Sherlock Holmes?”

She scoffed, looking for anything that could be unusual. “And what if it is?” 

Orion rolled his eyes, stepping back from the safe. Most likely just tired of dealing with her, like most people were. “It’s definitely Sherlock Holmes,” he said, looking around the room himself. “What else would you be quoting?”

Charm didn’t answer. It was probably better to remain silent, anyway. She had a case to solve. Not that she was embarrassed. No way.

In her mind, Charm made quick notes as to everything’s position in the room. Nothing too out of the ordinary at first glance, most of the objects looked rather untouched.

Until something caught her eye.

She turned to the window.

On the carpet underneath, there was a single strand of pink, curly hair, similar to the one she had found at the museum the other night. With care, she pinched it between her prosthetic fingers, lifting it to her eye.

Pink was not a natural hair color. And most people in the city didn’t dye their hair. Chances were high that the thief from the museum was the same one as this. She still needed to do the DNA tests for the two hair strands just to be sure.

“You found something?”

Charm held the hair strand up for him to see. “Pink hair, from what I assume is the thief,” she told him. “Also found one at the museum, most likely from the same suspect.”

Orion stared for a moment at the hair strand between her fingers. “Then we arrested the right person,” he said, walking out. “We can return the stolen tech to its rightful owner once we get it back in the morning.”

Charm raised a brow.

Okay, that was weird. He _definitely_ knew something. That couldn’t have just been an assumption, Orion may have been stupid like most of the population, but he was too smart for that.

“This has happened before, hasn’t it?” she asked, catching up with him as they exited the home.

He shrugged. “More or less,” he replied. “I can give you the file on the suspect if you want to know more. There’s a pretty high chance it was her who stole it from the Countess household, and I highly doubt it was anyone else.”

Oh, Charm definitely wanted to know more. How come she hadn’t heard of this suspect before? “Show me.”

* * *

“Kara Dox, also known as the Phantom Butterfly,” Orion stated, tossing the file onto his desk. “One of the best thieves of the city, as well as the most elusive.”

With care, Charm picked up the manila folder, opening it up. “There’s barely anything here,” she told him, examining the very few contents it held: a slightly blurry photo of the suspect, a possible sketch, notes about stolen objects being safe or belonging to someone else with handwriting that matched the notes that Charm had found in her last two cases, some scratched out notes of what little was known about her (which was just her name and alias), and a list of the places she’s stolen from. That list was much longer than the list of what they knew about her.

Orion shrugged, leaning back in his seat. “Hard to know much about a thief who always gets away,” he said, closing up his file cabinet. “We’re not even sure that ‘Kara Dox’ is even her real name.”

Huh. “I’m surprised you guys were even able to collect a DNA sample from her.”

“She’s careful, but not always careful enough to remove _all_ the evidence that she had been somewhere. Like you, we’re sometimes lucky to find a hair sample at the scene.”

Charm read over the list of the places that Kara had hit, the museum and the Countess household being the newest ones written on the list. “If you can never catch her, how do you know all the places she’s hit?”

“She has a pattern,” Orion said. He folded his hands together as he sat at his desk, resting his chin on top. “If you notice the notes and the places she’s stolen from, everything she steals is always returned to us by the next morning. More of a phantom thief, if you will.”

“Phantom thief?”

“She steals, but for a good reason. A thief with morals.”

After looking over the few pieces of information in the file once more, Charm closed the folder, tossing it back onto Orion’s desk. “Then the cases are solved and everything is where it belongs, what’s the point of keeping her file here?”

“The chief wants her caught. She’s still breaking the law.”

“Orion, you’re a person who wants justice on criminals, but _you_ don’t want her caught.”

He raised a brow rather skeptically. “And what makes you say that?”

Charm rolled her eyes. “Please, it’s all over your face, it’s so obvious.” She paused for a moment, before mumbling, “At least, obvious enough if people actually paid attention.”

Orion sighed and shook his head, defeated. 

Charm could feel herself smirking a little. 

“I still don’t understand how you do that.”

“You’re not as emotionless as you think, you still allow your emotions to cloud your judgement. Which brings me back to my question: what’s the point of keeping her file here? You don’t want her caught. Everything is returned, and everyone knows who the thief is. No damage done.”

Orion groaned, crossing his arms. “It’s not that simple. Even if _I_ don’t want her caught, it’s still our job to do so. The chief wants her stopped.”

“Then why haven’t you caught her?”

“Believe me, we’ve tried, but she’s always one step ahead. She’s outsmarted our best detectives.”

“Not me.”

“You’ve only been with us for seven months—”

She slammed her hands down on Orion’s desk, being careful not to slam too hard with her prosthetic. “Yet in that time, the chief has called me the best detective he’s had.” 

Orion had no response as the two of them just stared at each other from across the desk, both of them rather still.

“I can catch her,” Charm finally spoke after a few moments. “Give me the case, and I’ll have her caught.”

Orion only looked at her, doubt clear in his eyes. Understandable, if she was like the other detectives. But she wasn’t. She was more clever, more observant. She left no cases unsolved. She _never_ failed.

Orion finally sighed, a sign he was giving in. “All right, I’m telling the chief that I’m handing the case to you. You better be able to do this.”

Charm smiled. “I will.”

Satisfied, she turned around to leave his office.

“Don’t you need Dox’s file?” Orion called after her.

“Don’t worry.” She turned back to him with a smirk as she opened the door. “I have all the information I need.”

* * *

The Phantom Butterly may have been trickier than any of the other criminals Charm has had to track down, but in the end, she was still human. Meaning she was predictable.

Less than 48 hours of taking on the case of the Phantom Butterfly, Charm had already gathered intel on where she would hit next.

The city jewelry store was quite small, but had probably the most expensive content out of all the places in the city. This one was known for housing accessories with rather valuable gems, each one real, so of course the prices were high. Not to mention the necklace they had just recently announced that contained pieces from one of the most expensive diamonds. An unfortunate mistake on their part.

The place was highly protected, but that didn’t mean it was completely safe. Nothing was ever perfectly safe. There were flaws in any security system, and ways to bypass them.

Charm spoke with the owner of the store. She explained what she planned to do. She got acquainted with the store’s security. She studied the building. And she figured out the most optimal way to get in when the store should be closed and secure.

The safest way to sneak in would be through the roof. There were a couple ways to get through the roof, but the roof was most likely the way that the thieves would get in. (More often than not, people choose what they believe is the safest option when it comes to anything.)

So she waited there on the roof of the jewelry store on a stakeout of her own. Not exactly the most thrilling way to spend her time. Honestly, she didn’t enjoy this part of her job.

But she was going to catch the Phantom Butterfly, even if she had to wait all night.

Okay, maybe not all night. She’d get bored enough to abandon this stakeout eventually. So the Phantom Butterfly better show up soon.

Around the forty-six minute mark, Charm stopped keeping track of time. Sometime after that (she didn’t know how long anymore), she started to consider just abandoning the stakeout. Not because she felt that she was wrong (she was never wrong about this stuff), but because she didn’t have the patience to go about this.

As she stood up, ready to go home and do something more engaging, there was some sort of bang from the vent, then the cover popped open, a pink-haired thief dressed in all black crawling out, necklace in her gloved hand.

Okay, that was something she hadn’t expected. Getting in from the roof? Yes, that’s what she had expected. It was the safest and cleanest way to go about it. Going in a more dangerous way? Most thieves wouldn’t think to go about it that way. Charm wouldn’t _expect_ someone to go about it that way.

“Freeze!” she declared loudly, holding up her badge.

The Phantom Butterfly turned to her, startled, and Charm had a good look at her face.

The colors of the blurry photo pretty much matched, but there were differences between the criminal sketch kept in the file and the Phantom Butterfly in real life. For starters, the hair was definitely shorter than the sketch made it out to be. Her face was also rounder, and her eyes tilted upwards a little more than drawn in the sketch.

“I’m Detective Charm Mentum,” Charm continued, saying the lines she had said millions of times before, always in the exact same way, “and I’m—”

“Ooh, exciting!” the Phantom Butterfly cut her off, her startle now replaced with excitement, a wide grin now on her face. “I’ve never been caught by a detective before!”

“I-I…” Charm shook her head. So she may have been interrupted, which usually didn’t happen, but she could just keep going with her whole spiel. “I’m here to—”

“And you know what? I’m still not about to!”

Before Charm could say anything, the Phantom Butterfly took off, leaping off the roof of the jewelry store and landing on the roof of the building beside it.

“Hey!”

Charm raced after her, leaping onto the other roof as well.

Charm Mentum was quick, hot on the pursuit. But the Phantom Butterfly was quicker, light on her feet as she leapt from roof to roof. She sped ahead, way ahead; Charm had to exert so much force just to try to catch up.

Their chase ended up in the city street, their path illuminated by the streetlamps above them, and every once in a while, the headlights of cars speeding them by on the streets. The Phantom Butterfly never slowed down; Charm was panting hard, but she refused to give up. She was _not_ giving up. Charm Mentum _didn’t_ give up.

She was _going_ to catch the Phantom Butterfly.

So she kept running. Good thing a prosthetic leg meant one of her legs wouldn’t tire as much.

Their chase led them to the outskirts of the city, onto the bridge over the water. The Phantom Butterfly leapt onto the edge, running farther away from the city.

For a moment, Charm considered that maybe it would’ve been smarter to call for backup. Too late for that now.

“Halt!” she cried out, the Phantom Butterfly already over halfway across the bridge. “I order you to halt!”

And to Charm’s surprise, the Phantom Butterfly did. The thief turned around, the necklace still in her grasp and her hands up in the air.

This was… this was too easy. No time to dwell on that, though.

She swallowed, ignoring her dry mouth. God, she was out of breath. “Now drop the necklace.”

The Phantom Butterfly looked at her, then at the watch around her wrist, then at the necklace she held in her gloved hand. She looked back up at Charm, held her hand over the edge of the bridge, and smiled. 

Oh dear God, _no_.

“All right,” she replied. “Whatever you say!”

Charm inhaled sharply, letting out a swear under her breath. Damn it, she should’ve chosen a better phrasing!

“Wait!”

Just as Charm took the first step to stop her, the Phantom Butterfly opened her hand, the necklace now falling faster and faster down to the water way below. There was no way Charm could retrieve it back; instead, she watched as it fell towards the water.

Then exploded.

Okay, Charm _really_ didn’t see that coming.

The explosion wasn’t close enough to the supports of the bridge to do serious damage at least, so the two remained standing perfectly fine. Probably would’ve been worse if it _had_ hit the water.

“The people who run the jewelry shop there are part of an organization trying to kill the governor,” the Phantom Butterfly simply told her. “It’s right across city hall, if you notice. 

“The main piece of the necklace wasn’t a real diamond. The plan was to give that to her when she came to give a speech in front of the City Hall, and the bomb was set to go off after a certain amount of time once it was taken from its place. Clever, huh? No one’s suspected a thing!”

With a smile, the Phantom Butterfly began to walk off, hands in her pocket.

“I think your boss should know the truth!”

“And how can I tell him that without any evidence?” Charm asked her, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “All I have so far is your word!”

Wordlessly, the Phantom Butterfly turned around and tossed her a flash drive, Charm fumbling with it for a little until she had a grip on it. “The plan’s all in there,” she said, continuing to walk away. “I’d say arrest them in the morning ASAP.” She paused. “Oh yeah, there’s also more things you can find in their vault, the passcode is the formula mass of carbon.”

She took a few more steps, then turned around once more. “It was fun playing with you!” she called out as she backed away. “Hope we can do this again!”

_Playing_? Did she think this was a _game_?

The Phantom Butterfly gave one last smile before doing another 180, walking away. This time, she never looked back.

Charm stared at the flash drive she held in her hand, then back up at the Phantom Butterfly. This was _insane_. Was she really going to trust this?! For all she knew, this could’ve been a trick!

And why wasn’t she going after her? She was supposed to catch her! That was the plan, capture the Phantom Butterfly and turn her in. That simple.

Yet Charm couldn’t move her legs. They wouldn’t run after the Phantom Butterfly, let alone walk. Instead, she just watched her walk away, until her pink hair faded into the darkness.

Charm stared for a few more moments, then looked at the flash drive in her palm.

Did it really contain all of the plans, like the Phantom Butterfly said? Or was it some sort of red herring, to throw her off? 

Only one way to find out, it seemed.

Back in her apartment, Charm turned on the computer that sat on her desk. She put in the flash drive and opened the file on her desktop.

And she gasped.

The Phantom Butterfly was right.

There on Charm’s computer screen were the plans that the Phantom Butterfly had told her about.

She’d have to get this to the chief in the morning. They’d probably end up doing a full investigation on this, but if the Phantom Butterfly was still correct (and Charm strangely had no doubts that she was), then they’d find more evidence that would lead to an arrest.

Charm shut off her computer, surprisingly glad she hadn’t caught the Phantom Butterfly that night. Maybe letting her go was a good thing.

* * *

“We really got to stop meeting up like this!” Kara greeted her, grinning as she crawled out of the vent and into the room.

Charm rolled her eyes, trying to stop herself from smiling. 

It’d been a couple months since their first meeting, and ever since, Charm had been able to catch her with every robbery and heist she pulled. And just like the first time, she always found herself letting the Phantom Butterfly go. Well, she got back the stolen item every time (or it turned out something contained a bomb), they already knew who stole it, _and_ they were able to catch the thief who was trying to steal it for themselves, so there didn’t seem to be a reason to take the Phantom Butterfly in. 

The more encounters they had, though, the less Charm knew her as the Phantom Butterfly and the more she began to know her as Kara Dox. It was strange; both of them had the same face, the same voice, the same mannerisms, yet Charm found herself thinking of her as Kara instead of the Phantom Butterfly.

And Kara’s ways were strange, but Charm learned not to question it.

Recently, it also seemed as though Kara was _trying_ to run into Charm during her escapades. It was almost as if she _wanted_ to be caught. Which was strange, considering most thieves wouldn’t _want_ the detective to catch them.

Charm hadn’t figured out as to why Kara wanted to be caught yet. The girl was a puzzle, and Charm quite enjoyed a good puzzle.

“You know you’re currently in possession of _very_ sensitive information,” she just replied, pointing to the files that Kara held in her arms.

Charm wasn’t sure when they started to become more casual with each other. It had started with her yelling more at Kara, but eventually, they just started… talking during Kara’s schemes. Charm would almost forget that she’s supposed to capture her.

Kara just shrugged. “I’m just _borrowing_ them!” she said lightly. “Just long enough so you can catch the real thieves. I’m not even going to take a peek! Promise!”

“Really?” Charm raised a brow, a little skeptical, but she was smiling. “You’re not going to look?”

Kara put a hand to her forehead dramatically. “Oh, detective, you really tempt me!” She paused briefly, clearly wanting to add to her already over dramatic actions. “Unfortunately, I must resist. So I shan’t look!”

Their conversations were more playful banter if anything. But Charm strangely didn’t mind at all. She almost enjoyed these moments.

“Besides,” Kara continued, now fiddling with the files in her hands, “I wouldn’t have the time to read these boring ol’ files, not with those guys coming.”

She pointed to the nearby door, and as if on cue, a man and a woman burst through.

“Looking for this, fellas?” Kara loudly taunted, holding up the files for them to see.

The two people growled at her. Before they knew it, the man leapt at her, his arms out to grab her. But Kara was quicker.

She quickly backed up, out of reach. Before he had a chance to react, Charm quickly grabbed him by the arms tightly, ensuring that he couldn’t move.

The woman rushed towards Charm to free him, until Kara grabbed her from behind, handcuffing her leg to a nearby desk.

Okay, how did Kara move so fast? And _when_ did she steal the handcuffs that were at Charm’s belt?!

Charm shook her head. Didn’t matter. The criminals were caught, that’s all she cared about.

Kara smiled, handcuffing the man that Charm held firmly with handcuffs that definitely didn’t belong to Charm. Wait, Kara had her own?! 

“Pleasure working with you tonight, Mentum,” Kara said with a smile. She handed the files to Charm, their fingers brushing against each other. 

Charm felt her face heat up a little.

Kara just backed away. “‘Til we meet again!”

Charm couldn’t help but smile back. “Sure. Whatever.”

Kara gave her a small salute as she walked backwards, before turning around and disappearing to somewhere else. No doubt finding her way out without attracting the attention of the police. Charm wasn’t worried, though; she knew that Kara could escape easily. She was probably out by now, anyway.

With a satisfied smile and the thieves caught, she brought out her walkie talkie, ready to turn the two in.

* * *

“Mentum, it’s been almost three months, and the Phantom Butterfly is still out there!”

“Sir, I—”

“You said that you’d catch her!”

Charm’s fist clenched tighter. “And I will! Just give me more time—”

The chief slammed his fist on the desk. “You’ve had _plenty_ of time, Mentum! I want the Phantom Butterfly caught and locked up now! No excuses!”

The glare he gave her was dangerous, but she wasn’t one to back down. She narrowed her own eyes, refusing to show weakness.

“You have one more chance, Mentum.” The chief’s voice was real low, not a good sign. “If I hear that you failed to catch her one more time, you’re fired.”

Charm felt her chest tighten. “W-what?”

“You heard me, Mentum.” The chief was unmoving, the expression on his face unwavering. “You lose your job if you don’t bring the Phantom Butterfly in.” 

He turned around, going back to do who knew what.

But Charm didn’t care for whatever the heck he was doing. She huffed through her nose. There was no way she was just going to give up her job like that, she worked too hard to get here!

“Sir, you can’t just fire me,” she told him. “You said that I’m your best detective here!”

He waved her off, clearly uninterested. “I have other detectives, it’s not like we’re understaffed.”

“And none of them have caught Ka— the Phantom Butterfly!”

He turned to her, a brow raised. “And _you_ have?”

She swallowed. “I… No, sir, but I—”

“Then what makes you different from all my other detectives?”

She couldn’t answer. “I… I—”

“You’re in a pretty precarious position right now, Mentum,” the chief pointed out to her. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll quit your complaining.”

Charm was _fuming_ at that statement, but clearly she couldn’t do anything here. Throwing a tantrum would probably get her fired even sooner. Instead, she stomped out of the chief’s office (all while making sure to slam the door) and stormed into her own.

And she screamed. She screamed as loud as her lungs would let her, letting all her frustration into it. She punched her wall. She shoved most everything off of her desk. She raised her chair, ready to throw it across the room, when Orion came in, staring at her as she held the chair high above her head.

“I take it that the meeting with the chief didn’t go well?”

Charm didn’t answer. Ugh, why did stupid Orion have to come in now of all times?! She just huffed through her nose and shot the chair to the side of her office.

Orion winced at the sound of it pounding into the floor. “Yeah, didn’t think so.”

Of course it didn’t, what did he think?

Charm’s breathing was still heavy, but she did feel a _little_ better letting out that frustration, even if it was at the cost of her office. Which she’d probably have to pay for. Damn it.

But she could get angry about that another time. Right now, she had other pressing matters.

“It’s not fair!” she ranted to Orion. It was way too difficult to keep her voice level. “He’s going to fire me over one stupid case!”

“To be fair, you _did_ say you’d have the Phantom Butterfly caught,” Orion pointed out.

Charm glared at him, Orion holding his arms out in case he’d have to defend himself. He was lucky that she wasn’t angry enough to attack a human being. At least, a human being that wasn’t Orion.

“I’m his best detective!” she continued, now pacing behind her desk. “And so what if I haven’t caught her yet?! It’s not like anyone else has!”

“I get it, it’s not fair,” Orion said. “But throwing a childish tantrum isn’t going to do anything to help.”

Charm huffed. He was annoying, but unfortunately correct. Her rage wasn’t getting her anywhere.

She took a deep breath, then another, and another.

If she was going to keep her job, she’d have to capture the Phantom Butterfly once and for all. She had to turn in Kara.

So why did the thought of doing that make her stomach churn? Why was she so hesitant to turn Kara in? Charm had taken this case because she was the only detective who had the brains to catch her. She should’ve been captured a long time ago.

That didn’t matter right now. No, next time Charm saw Kara, she was going to turn her in. No hesitations this time. She’d be sure of it.

* * *

Sanderson Mansion, 9pm. 

What they knew: The Sanderson family was hosting a gala at their place. Bethany Sanderson, daughter of Christian Sanderson, would be unveiling her newest painting to the public for the first time that night. Given her fame across the country within the art community, the painting was expected to be worth a _lot_ of money. Which meant, of course, that someone was planning to steal it.

What Charm knew: Kara Dox was planning to get involved in this in some way. Because that’s what Kara did. 

Another thing Charm knew: she hated the outfit she had to wear.

“Do I really need to wear this?” she hissed at Orion, fidgeting with the skirt of her violet dress. The black heels on her feet made her feel awkward; they were only an inch high, but it felt awkwardly tall. At least her hair in a bun didn’t feel different from the usual ponytail she wore it in.

“It’s customary to wear something like that to a formal event like this,” Orion told her, adjusting his necktie. “Also there’s a dress code. Even if they allowed us on the guest list, we wouldn’t have been allowed in if we let you wear your usual attire.”

What was wrong with her usual outfit?! Well, probably the fact that she usually wore the same thing almost every day. And often forgot to do laundry. Okay, yeah, she could see why actually. DIdn’t mean she was more willing to wear the dress, though.

“I’ll try to see what information I can get out of Christian, see if he knows anything,” Orion said as they walked in. “You keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

Charm nodded.

The plan made sense. Orion was rather close with Christian Sanderson, so it was logical that he would see what he could get from the man. (Charm probably would’ve angered or humiliated him in some way. People were so sensitive.) And Charm was the one with a good eye. Always observing, she could find what most would overlook, despite being blind in one eye.

The plan was simple, but would be effective. So they went their different ways, Orion to find the host of the event, and Charm off by the wall, making observations of the party guests.

All of a sudden, she felt out of place.

She was more comfortable with Orion by her side, at least he was familiar. But now, she was alone in a sea of strangers, in a place she didn’t know. It was easier when it was just her at a scene, Orion accompanying her, but on her own in such a crowded place?

She wanted to hide.

Awkwardly, Charm crossed her arms, leaning against the wall.

Okay, just ignore the discomfort, she had a job to do. Don’t focus on her feelings, focus on what she could find. See what she could find out by watching the other guests. The music that the band played helped with things, at least.

A woman in the distance was talking to other guests, her husband by her side. The woman held herself high, with confidence. The man was more awkward, fidgeting with his tuxedo and barely adding to the conversation. The woman had been born into the upper class obviously, the man having married into it. Neither were the thieves. Or Kara.

Another man stood by the refreshment table. He was speaking to another man, who laughed at what he said. Flirting. The first one liked the second, and by the looks of it, those feelings were reciprocated. Not the thieves either.

Would anyone notice her staring? God, she hoped not.

No, don’t think about that, just look for clues. Anything out of the ordinary. Anything that could give clues as to who the thief could be. Where the thief could be. Where Kara Dox could be.

Tonight was the night that Charm would capture the Phantom Butterfly.

“Care to dance?”

Charm turned her head, greeted by someone extending their hand towards her.

The person who stood before her wore a rather wrinkled tuxedo, quite inappropriate for a formal event like this. (The necktie wasn’t even put on properly.) While the “stranger’s” hair looked quite dark and short at a glance, there was no mistaking those bright blue eyes.

And it was a huge relief.

“Not exactly subtle, are you?” she asked, raising a brow.

Kara just smiled. “Not to you,” she replied, “but to everyone else? They don’t even notice.”

Charm began to remark about how people are stupid and don’t observe, but this time, she held her tongue. For a few more moments, they just continued to stand in silence, just staring at each other.

“You’re supposed to take my hand, you know,” Kara finally spoke.

Charm could feel her face heating up as she looked away. “I, uh… I don’t… I’ve never danced.” She took a step back, gripping on the skirt of her dress in front of her.

Kara tilted her head. “Here, I can show you,” she said softly. “Just follow my lead.”

Pursing her lips, Charm placed her real hand on top of Kara’s, and the thief gently pulled her towards the dance floor, her other hand now on her waist.

Charm bit her lip. She had never been this close to another person outside her family before. At least, not willingly. This was… new.

“Now place your other hand on my shoulder.”

With care, Charm placed her prosthetic hand onto Kara’s left shoulder, just like she was told. Looking at the other guests, it seemed like she was doing it right.

“Now just step to the music, and go with what I do, okay?”

Charm nodded, and Kara began their dance as a new song started. For the first minute or so of the song, Charm spent it just watching their feet, doing her best not to step on Kara’s or trip over her own. Her own steps were rather heavy and clumsy compared to Kara’s light and graceful ones, something she now found herself quite conscious of. 

After observing carefully, she managed to find a pattern in the steps, a small smile making its way on her face. This wasn’t so bad. A little fun, actually!

Now able to move without thinking of her movements too much, she looked up at Kara, no longer worrying about attracting attention.

The first thing she noticed was Kara’s eyes. Her bright, blue eyes stared into her own, her pupils dilating, even if only slightly. The next thing she noticed was the gentle smile. This one wasn’t cocky or smirking. This one was… happy. Was that right? Of course it was right, this was the kind of smile Charm saw when people were enjoying themselves.

Dilating eyes… The smile… The sloppy disguise… 

“You wanted me to notice you,” she stated as Kara twirled her best she could.

That made her job a lot easier. Kara was practically begging to be turned in. All Charm had to do was immobilize her somehow, then say she had caught her. It was that easy… right?

Charm just continued to dance.

And Kara only continued to smile. “What makes you say that?” she asked, feigning innocence. “What makes you think that the Phantom Butterfly wants Detective Charm Mentum to notice her?”

It was obvious: why else would she bother to disguise herself, but leave even the smallest bit uncovered? If she had wanted to go unnoticed, she would’ve found a way to cover her eyes as well, and definitely not approach her.

“Or better question: _why_ would the Phantom Butterfly want the detective to notice her?”

Without warning, Charm found herself being dipped, both of Kara’s hands now wrapped around her waist to catch her. Gasping, she gripped onto Kara’s wrist with her real hand, partly to keep herself from falling (even if she already knew Kara wouldn’t let her fall), and partly to check something. She wanted to be sure.

Elevated pulse.

She knew exactly why Kara wanted her to notice.

“You want me to notice you because…” She hesitated. “...because you’re going to sneak away from the party at some point, aren’t you? You know that the painting is going to be stolen tonight, and you want me to follow you.”

Charm didn’t miss that falter in her smile. Kara didn’t answer right away. “Yeah,” Kara said slowly, pulling Charm up from the dip. “That’s the only reason I wanted you to notice me.”

It wasn’t.

Charm knew the real reason. So why couldn’t she say it?

Why couldn’t she capture Kara?

Why were simple tasks so hard around her?

“I could easily turn you in,” she said as they continued to move around the dance floor. “I could just rip off that wig and tell the chief that I finally caught you, just like he wanted.”

Kara grinned wide. “Oh, but you won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“The same way you know why I’m here.” Kara continued to smile as they turned again. “I observe.”

Charm huffed, but said nothing more as they continued to waltz, Kara still leading. The two moved around the dance floor in silence, the musicians reaching the climax of the song.

“How’d you even get in?” Charm asked, breaking their silence momentarily. “There’s a guest list, and they couldn’t have invited you in anyway.”

Kara giggled, spinning Charm once more. “Guests aren’t the only people who can get into the Sanderson Gala.”

And with that spin, Charm was able to catch a glimpse at the banquet, one of the caterers refilling the drinks. 

Of course. That had to be how Kara snuck in. Clever.

As the cello hit the last and final note of the song, they took their last steps, and they stopped dancing. Their hands were still holding onto each other, Kara’s other hand on Charm’s waist, Charm’s prosthetic hand on Kara’s shoulder. 

It was just a waltz, but something about it was… exhilarating. It felt right. And Charm didn’t want it to end. She wanted to keep dancing. She wanted to keep dancing with _Kara_. She wanted more.

Kara leaned in closer to Charm, her smile as wide as ever. Their faces were close. So close. Close enough to kiss. 

Charm could feel Kara’s breath against her skin, which made her face heat up more than she thought it could. And Kara leaned closer, and closer, and…

“Meet me on the balcony in five minutes,” Kara whispered, before pulling away. Without missing a beat, Kara made her way to the bathroom, adjusting her tuxedo as she did, turning around momentarily to wave back at Charm.

The detective, meanwhile, stood where she was, rather dumbfounded, her face still hot. Had she read that wrong? Did Kara not feel that way about her? God, was she letting her emotions cloud her deductions? Or was Kara just messing with her?

For once, Charm didn’t know. 

Frustrated, she shook her head. _Focus!_ No, there were more pressing matters at hand. Like the new painting by Bethany Sanderson that was supposed to be stolen tonight.

Kara told her to meet at the balcony. That _had_ to be relating to the painting that would be stolen that night. Why else would Kara be there?

As discreetly and as quietly as she could, Charm slipped away from the party and found her way to the second floor, making her way to the balconies of the mansion.

“Glad to see you could make it,” Kara greeted her. In the five minutes since she left Charm, her disguise had been taken off. Instead, she wore her usual all-black attire, and her pink hair was finally uncovered. 

The thief was currently sitting on the black railing of the mansion balcony, and leaning on the railing next to her was what suspiciously looked like the painting, still covered with a sheet.

“How long have you had that?” Charm asked, pointing to the still-covered painting.

Kara just shrugged. “Stole it like a minute ago or something.”

Of course she did.

It would’ve been so easy to just take her to the station now. Present the stolen painting along with the Phantom Butterfly. Have her locked up. Finally satisfy the chief’s orders.

It would be so, _so_ easy.

“So I’m here,” Charm continued, ignoring the fact that she was just letting this slide. She had gotten used to that at this point. “What do you need me for?”

“Oh, nothing! Just thought you’d want tonight’s thief caught.”

As if on cue, a man came rushing up the stairs, looking rather aggressive and upset. His head turned this way and that, before his sight landed on the two women out on the balcony.

“Hi!” Kara called out to him, waving at him with her entire arm. “Were you looking for this?” She pointed at the covered painting, which seemed to anger him more. He charged at them, Charm realizing that she had left the door to the balcony open.

Luckily, she didn’t actually have to do anything. Kara grabbed a taser from her back pocket, using it on the thief, knocking him unconscious.

Wait, taser? “Since when did you have a taser?”

Kara only smiled like she always did. “Just borrowing it from a friend.”

Hm. Kara had an accomplice. Made some sense; there was no way she was able to pull off all the heists she’d done on her own.

“Well, now you have your thief, and the painting is safe!” Kara picked up the painting, handing it to Charm.

“T-Thanks…”

Did Kara really have to stand so close? Charm could feel her face heat up once again as Kara came closer. And they weren’t dancing this time. Kara’s face was close enough to kiss.

Kara grabbed Charm’s hand in hers.

It’d be so easy to capture her.

Charm stared deep into Kara’s startling blue eyes.

It’d be so easy… 

So why didn’t she?

They stayed that way for several minutes under the moonlight. There was no movement, no sound. Just the two of them. Alone. Together.

With another grin, Kara let her hand go.

“See you next time, Detective.”

And with that, Kara leapt over the railing to the ground down below, a grappling hook slowing her fall.

Charm watched her descend, disappearing into the hedges so that she wouldn’t be seen. Charm had let her get away once again. And she found that she didn’t mind. Mostly.

* * *

Charm’s stomach wouldn’t stop churning all day.

She had let Kara go once again last night for probably the hundredth time. The chief was going to fire her.

She curled up in her chair by her desk, doing her best to focus on the paperwork in front of her. Any minute now, the chief would call her to his office, and he’d fire her, like he said he would.

So she waited for the inevitable, all while trying not to think about it.

The day was excruciatingly long, every minute stretching longer and longer. She found that she couldn’t look away from the clock for too long.

It was like a week had passed. When was she going to be called? Why hadn’t he called her down yet?

Was this some sort of cruel punishment? Forcing her to wait these long hours, only to finally fire her at the end of the day?

Charm was ready to throw up.

This was too much. The waiting was way too much.

She had run out of paperwork. Now all she could do was sit at her desk, wondering when she was going to be fired.

This job meant too much to her. It was something she actually _enjoyed_ , and for once, she wasn’t fired within the first week for being “unbearable” (and honestly, she couldn’t deny that). Once the chief fired her, she’d have to go through the struggle of finding a job again, which was already difficult enough, not to mention the fact that there were very few jobs that actually interested her. (She was _not_ going to take a job she wasn’t interested in. That was pointless to her, even if it could make her good money.)

God, why wasn’t the chief calling her down yet?

Might as well start job hunting while she was here. Make things a little easier. And give her something to do. The waiting was making her too antsy.

Job hunting turned into solitaire within an hour, and the chief _still_ hadn’t called her down yet. At least three games in, still no word.

A part of her considered just going down there so that the chief could just fire her now. End the suspense, end the tension, just get it over with; it’d be a lot easier.

But at the same time, no. She also wanted to hold onto her job as long as possible. A little ridiculous, maybe, but she didn’t want to lose it.

The entire day lasted a whole year, and the office finally closed. Taking a deep breath, Charm began to gather her very few belongings, taking as much time as she could. The chief was probably going to fire her now, after hours. Probably just letting her enjoy her last day before he let her go.

“What are you doing?” Orion asked at her office door.

She looked up. “I’m fired, aren’t I?”

Orion tilted his head. “What makes you say that? Did the chief tell you that you’re fired?”

She took in a breath, as steady as she could. “He said that I am if… if I fail to capture Kar— the Phantom Butterfly again.”

“And?”

“I let her go last night.”

The two of them just stared, Orion at her and Charm at her desk.

“I know,” Orion said.

Charm didn’t reply.

“But as far as the chief knows, she never showed up at the gala last night.”

What? Charm looked up. 

Her partner was now rubbing the back of his head, looking away with an awkward smile. “Yeah, I kinda figured that it was her you were dancing with last night, plus the fact you disappeared then suddenly called me saying that you had the thief and painting, since you haven’t worked that way until you started taking on the case of catching the Phantom Butterfly.”

He smiled at her. “Like you said before, I don’t want her caught, and I know you don’t either. So the report I filed about last night… fails to mention that she was there.”

Charm stared at him. He did _what_?! “You lied in a report?!”

“Hey, would you rather you get fired? It’s just a report!”

“That’s all kinds of illegal!”

“Well, it keeps the two of you safe!”

Charm froze. Orion… wanted to keep her and Kara safe? But why? Kara was a criminal, and Charm herself was a massive pain in the butt. Why would he want to protect them in any way?

“Look, I know you know that you’re a jerk, but like I’ve told you before, I still care about you, for some reason. And I know you care about the Phantom Butterfly… Kara? For whatever reason you have.”

“I don’t—”

“You do. Don’t try to hide it.”

The way he looked at her made her face heat up. Was it that obvious? 

“I’ve known you long enough, Charm. I may not be as observant as you or able to make deductions like you, but I know how to read you.”

He smiled.

“I also know that you’d like to hear that I got intel that someone plans on stealing $500,000 from the city bank and won’t return it unless you meet with them at the roof of your apartment. You can deduce who that probably is.”

With that said, he exited her office, closing her door gently.

* * *

“How long have you been waiting?”

Charm turned around. Despite her acute senses, she had never heard Kara arrive. Just like the first time they had met. Just like every other time they had met.

Kara Dox was still quite an enigma to Charm. Yet Charm didn’t mind at all.

“Twenty-seven minutes and forty seconds,” Charm answered.

“Ooh, you’re good!”

Kara came a little closer, stopping a good distance away, her hands in her pockets.

“So,” Charm said, “where is it?”

“Where is what?”

“The money. That you stole.”

“Oh! That! I, uh…” Kara turned away. “I don’t have it.”

Charm could only stare. “What?”

“Yeah, I never actually stole anything.” Kara laughed. “I just decided to send your partner a message that someone was going to do that so that you’d come here.”

Charm groaned. God, she was frustrating in so many ways. “Why. Why would you do that.” It was less of a question and more of a statement.

“Just wanted to meet with you,” Kara said with an innocent smile.

Charm held back another groan. “Well, you could’ve just phoned me, you know,” she pointed out, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “On my phone? Like a normal person?”

Kara giggled at Charm’s frustration, shrugging her shoulders. “Where’s the fun in that? Besides, neither of us can be considered ‘normal,’ can we?”

Charm shook her head, not answering; she was done playing around. “Look, if you were never planning on stealing $500,000, why did you go through all the trouble to make it seem like you would? Why are you here?”

Kara kept smiling. “To ask you a similar question: what about you?”

“Me?! I’m here because I was told that you would be stealing—”

Kara laughed. “I don’t mean why you’re _here_ here. You’re here right now because you let me go every single time instead of turning me in like you’re supposed to.” She took a couple of slow steps towards Charm, her gaze never moving. “You’re the only one who’s been able to catch me.”

“You’ve been _letting_ me catch you these past times!”

“Which should’ve made it easier to turn me in,” Kara pointed out. “And you haven’t. Why?”

“I-I…” She could’ve easily said it wasn’t her job to do so. Because it wasn’t. But that wasn’t true. She had taken on the case of the Phantom Butterfly because the chief wanted her caught and arrested. She said that she would do it. But she hadn’t. “I don’t know…”

Kara tilted her head, her pink hair bouncing lightly as she did. “No,” she said, approaching her. “I think you know why.”

She approached her more, her smile never leaving her face. “Charm Mentum, the detective who never listens to her emotions. The detective who only listens to cold, hard facts.” She came closer, closer, and closer still. “The detective who never lets her feelings dictate what she does.”

She paused, stopping in her tracks for a moment as well. “Except when it comes to the Phantom Butterfly.”

Charm felt her breath catch in her throat. She wanted to deny it, to tell Kara that she was wrong. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t get herself to do it.

And now Kara was right in front of her. Charm could feel her face heating up. 

It was just like the gala. Just like the dance. Just like the balcony. Kara was right there. Her face was so close, close enough to kiss. She knew that Kara knew it, too.

Charm could easily kiss her, right there on that roof.

“So,” she spoke instead, “what are we?”

Kara hesitated in answering, frowning ever so slightly. That wasn’t what she wanted Charm to do. “I dunno,” she finally responded. “What do you want us to be?”

Charm didn’t answer.

They just continued to stand there, staring, unmoving, in the cool night breeze, under the shine of the full moon. They stood there for hours, minutes. Or maybe it was just moments.

“I…” Charm hesitated. She gulped. “I want us… I want us to be something.”

The smile Kara gave her was gentle, encouraging. “Good,” she replied. “I want us to be something, too.”

They remained that way a few moments longer in the still silence, until Kara stepped back. Without a word, she made her way to the edge of the roof, all the while still smiling at Charm. She sat on the ledge, swinging her legs over it.

“Hey,” she called back to Charm, who was watching her every move. “You like solving mysteries, right?”

Charm wordlessly gave a single nod.

“Then solve this for me: how come you don’t call yourself a thief when you stole something from me?”

What? What was she talking about? “What did I steal?”

Kara just smirked before replying, “My heart.”

God _freaking_ dammit. If Charm was close enough, she would’ve shoved Kara off the edge. But she didn’t have to.

Because Kara launched herself off the edge, down into the alley below.

Charm rushed to the edge, looking over. A white van was driving away, Kara Dox sitting on its roof, perfectly fine. The pink-haired thief raised a hand, waving up at the detective as the van drove away, before opening one of the back doors and crawling inside.

Charm watched the vehicle turn into the street, driving away somewhere into the city.

And for the first time in so long, she laughed. Kara Dox was crazy, and she was frustrating, but Charm couldn’t deny that she was interesting. She was a puzzle, she was a mystery, something that Charm couldn’t solve, and that only made her want to know the thief more.

She continued to stare in the direction the van had driven off. She and Kara were something. Not a typical something like most people expected, but it was what fit them. Because they weren’t typical people. And that made it more special.

Smiling, Charm found herself excited for Kara’s next heist, whatever it would be. She couldn’t wait to see the pink-haired thief again. And for the first time, she was finally able to admit to herself why.

* * *

“Cutting it close there, aren’t you, Phantom Butterfly?”

Kara just grinned. “You know it’s more exciting that way, Night Owl.”

Moira rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as she drove. “Can’t argue with that.”

Kara sighed as she collapsed onto one of the beanbag chairs they had in the back of the van (hey, didn’t hurt to make the place quite comfy!), her heart still pounding with the adrenaline of that stunt. It probably wasn’t good that she was constantly putting herself in such near death situations, but where was the fun in playing it safe?

“So,” Moira began, taking a left, “what was that about?”

“What was what about?”

“You know what I’m talking about, Phantom Butterfly.” Moira stared at her through the rearview mirror. “That whole thing. You went through the trouble of making it seem like $500,000 was gonna be stolen when it wasn’t. Why?”

Kara shrugged, even though she knew Moira was most likely not looking in her direction. (She _did_ have to keep her eyes on the road!) “I just thought it’d be nice to see her for once, outside the usual scenario.”

“Her?”

“The detective.”

Moira paused for a few moments, the van slowing down at the red light. “Oh! Sour Cat’s new partner?”

“If by ‘Sour Cat’ you mean Detective Orion Shen, then yes.”

Moira hummed in satisfaction, the light turning green. “I still haven’t figured out a nickname for her yet,” she mused. “Maybe Grumpy Bear or something.”

“Hey, she may be a grouch, but she’s pretty sweet once you get to know her!” Kara leaned back farther, practically laying down on top of the beanbag seat. 

She couldn’t help but grin, Charm being the only thing on her mind. “She’s incredibly smart and amazing and resourceful, though I wish she could take a hint sometimes.”

“Oh?”

Kara couldn’t stop grinning as she continued to think about Charm. Remembering how close they had been earlier that night, the temperature in her cheeks rose.

Moira quickly understood her silence, her eyes widening as she did.

“Oh!”

“Yeah.”

“So you…?”

“Mm-hmm!”

“And does she…?”

“Oh, she does, all right.” Kara sighed. “She just needs to get used to feeling that way, that’s all.”

She could see Moira smirking through the rearview mirror. “The Phantom Butterfly falling in love with the Grumpy Detective. Who would’ve thought?”

Kara just shrugged, despite Moira being unable to see it. “Ah, well, what can you say? Enemies to lovers, ya know? Be gay, do crime.”

“Be crime, do gay.”

“Be do, gay crime.”

“Do be, crime gay.”

The two of them laughed at their own nonsense, and as their laughter died down, Kara only had one thought: she couldn’t wait to meet up with Charm again during their next heist.


End file.
